Wilson Reis
Active 2013–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 79.0
Scouting report
Wilson Reis brought Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world championship credentials into the UFC flyweight division from Minas Gerais, Brazil, training with Alliance MMA in San Diego. Reis earned a title shot against Demetrious Johnson following wins over Dustin Ortiz and Ulka Sasaki, reflected in a 92 BJJ and 85 Cardio.
Peak ratings
By edition
Reis won three straight between January 2016 and February 2017, outpointing Dustin Ortiz, submitting Hector Sandoval and outpointing Ulka Sasaki. This earned him a flyweight title shot against Demetrious Johnson at UFC on Fox 24 in 2017, where he was submitted in round three. His BJJ black-belt credentials and control are reflected in a 92 BJJ and 82 Wrestling.
Across 2018 and 2019, Reis defeated Ben Nguyen by decision at UFC Fight Night 142 while losing a decision to John Moraga and by first-round TKO to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 236 in Atlanta. His ground transitions and guard passing in these matchups are reflected in his 90 BJJ and 83 Cardio.
Wilson Reis, the brown belt who won the world title
Wilson Reis got his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Roberto Godoi and won the 2004 world championships as a brown belt. He was the first and only EliteXC bantamweight champion, beating Abel Cullum for the vacant belt in September 2008. In Bellator he lost tournament fights to Joe Soto, Patricio Freire and Eduardo Dantas before rebuilding in Brazil and Europe. In a draft he is a submission specialist with a 92 in jiu-jitsu.
What Reis's ratings show
Boxing. A serviceable 74, well below his grappling.
Kickboxing. A modest 72. He hurt Scott Jorgensen with a body kick in 2014 and went straight to the takedown.
Wrestling. A strong 82. After the Jorgensen body kick he shot in, took the fight down and passed to mount.
BJJ. The best on his card at 92. He beat Zach Makovsky by arm-triangle in 2008, Bruno Menezes by rear-naked choke and Owen Roddy by third-round submission in Glasgow.
Strength. A modest 72, tied for his lowest.
Durability. A good 80. Freire and Dantas both knocked him out in Bellator, but he went the distance in back-and-forth fights with the likes of Jussier Formiga.
Cardio. A high 85. The Roddy win came in the third round of a hard-fought Cage Warriors bout in Glasgow.
Fight IQ. A high 80. The Jorgensen finish shows him turning a hurt opponent into a takedown and an arm-triangle from mount.
BJJ at 92 is a standout number
Jiu-jitsu is the top rating by seven points, and the history backs it. He submitted Scott Jorgensen in the first round in 2014 with an arm-triangle from mount, and Hector Sandoval in the first round in 2016. In 2017 he fought Demetrious Johnson for the title and lost by armbar in the third round, so even his biggest loss was a grappling exchange.
Kickboxing and strength share the low mark at 72
Both his kicking and power ratings sit at 72, so the plan against him is to pressure him standing and out-muscle him in the clinch. Henry Cejudo stopped him by TKO in the second round in 2017, and Alexandre Pantoja did in the first round in 2019. Strikers with power can turn his grappling into a defensive job.
Keep exploring
Closest flyweight profiles to Wilson Reis, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Ray Borgbest bjj 86 · weakest strength 73
- Jussier Formigabest bjj 93 · weakest kickboxing 68
- Rogerio Bontorinbest bjj 84 · weakest strength 73
- Tagir Ulanbekovbest wrestling 90 · weakest strength 74
- Flyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Wilson Reis's strongest attribute, BJJ.
Draft Wilson Reis into your build
Wilson Reis enters the pool on any spin landing on flyweight between 2016 and 2019. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Wilson Reis is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Wilson Reis's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.